Swiss watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre and the world of Cinema

09.19.13

There is a shared obsession between groundbreaking cinematographic and horological accomplishment. Through the close affinity with the world of film, Swiss watch manufacturer Jaeger-LeCoultre has found shared values and a common mission: each second bears the imprint of a moment of eternity. Jaeger-LeCoultre has a longstanding connection with the film industry, and a strong commitment to supporting and promoting the appreciation and preservation of film. As a major player in watchmaking history, celebrating its 180th anniversary this year, Jaeger-LeCoultre has remained loyal to the legacy of haute horlogerie watchmaking traditions while maintaining its capacity for invention in order to create authentic Fine Watchmaking legends.

For close to a decade, watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre has been closely associated with the best artistic film festivals around the world and pays tribute to filmmakers’ creative ingenuity by conferring the Glory to the Filmmaker Award to a personality “who has brought great innovation to contemporary cinema”. At the Venice International Film Festival, the list of past honourees makes fascinating reading: Takeshi Kitano (2007) Abbas Kiarostami (2008), Agnès Varda (2008), Sylvester Stallone (2009), Mani Ratnam (2010), Al Pacino (2011), Spike Lee (2012), followed in 2013 by Ettore Scola, the first Italian director to receive this award.

Jaeger-LeCoultre also partners the Shanghai International Film Festival. Within this context, Jaeger-LeCoultre organises a gala evening and a charity auction aimed at funding film production in China as well as restoring several classic Chinese movies. During the 2014 Shanghai International Film Festival, a screening of ‘Chinese Film Masterpieces Restored by Jaeger-LeCoultre’ is to showcase the results of this project.For the past three years, watch manufacturer Jaeger-LeCoultre has proudly sponsored the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, created in 2007 with the commitment to curating exceptional programs that engage and educate the community, inspire filmmakers and nurture the growth of the Middle Eastern film industry. In 2012, Jaeger-LeCoultre also decided to partner the International Film Festival in San Sebastian, Spain.

Most recently, in April 2013, Jaeger-LeCoultre announced a new multi-year partnership with the Film Society of Lincoln Center, America’s pre-eminent New York based non-profit film organization. As part of this association, the Center and Jaeger-LeCoultre launched the Filmmaker in Residence initiative. An annual initiative designed to further cement both organizations’ roles within the film community, and support of the arts. The new partnership also extends to two of the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s most prestigious annual events; the 40th Annual Chaplin Award Gala and the 51st New York Film Festival, a 17-day celebration showcasing the best and most significant films of the year from around the world.